Cougars & Mustangs 

Notice the influx of high school students roaming the streets of San Luis Obispo? No, it’s not a massive senior ditch day; it’s Cal Poly’s 18th annual Open House (which the university cleverly dubbed “Polywood”).

Highlights of the event take place on campus Saturday, April 16, as the university will showcase more than 200 clubs and organizations. The Campus Showcase event is open to the public and will feature special events such as the Poly Royal Parade, a kids’ fair, live music, the Cal Poly Tractor Pull, the Cal Poly Rodeo, and more.

Listen up, educated hippies, Cal Poly’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship will be host to some of the most innovative minds in the green building industry at the upcoming Entrepreneurship Forum “Clean Tech: Innovation in the Built Environment” on April 14 at the Cal Poly Tech Park at 5 p.m. A panel of experts in various clean tech fields will discuss their experiences in this ever-expanding sector and their passion for sustainable technologies.

“It’s not just saving the planet, it’s the next new economy,” said green-building guru John Picard. “In nature, there is no waste. So in the next economy, the next Industrial Revolution, the gain is going to go to the companies that mimic nature. They will be the most profitable companies.”

Sir! Yes, sir! A Cal Poly ethics group has recently joined forces with a military technology group. The Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group at Cal Poly announced it’s now an institutional member of the Consortium for Emerging Technologies, Military Operations, and National Security, which focuses on military and national security. Some technologies of interest include nanotechnology, neurotechnology, human enhancements, robotics, cyber weapons, and non-lethal weapons (I’m hoping for colorful laser beams and super sticky silly string).

It’s not all about engineering and sustainable living at the university. Cal Poly’s University Art Gallery will display student works in its annual juried student exhibition April 15 to May 7. Awards will be given in multiple categories, including graphic design, 2D studio art, 3D studio art, and photography.

The University Art Gallery is in the Dexter Building, room 171. The exhibit is free and open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Be sure to check out the best high school wind bands from across California as they gather at Cal Poly to perform in the Cohan Center on Sunday, A

Send Kai Beech your college news via Managing Editor Ashley Schwellenbach at [email protected].